Guns and Knitting needles
by AmbroiseFramboise
Summary: Small Tsuna, always shallowed in layers of wool, doesn't look like much. With his fluffy brown hair, and big eyes, you couldn't tell he is the Decimo, Tenth heir to the Vongola, the biggest mafia in Italy. But be careful no to anger him too much. He was trained by the best after all. (Vongola had more than one boss using unconventional weapons before.)


**Note** ; Hi everyone ! I decided to post my stories from AO3 here too, so enjoy ! The firsts chapters are already written and will be updated fast, but after that it'll take longer, I'm a slow writer without set shedule and way too many WIPs.

**Chapter 1**

Sawada Tsunayoshi, six years old, was cold and he had lost something. It was the fault of his Papa and the Grandpa who came with him. He didn't know what exactly, but he tripped a lot more, the colors hand the world had lost their brightness. He had more trouble understanding things, and the little voice in his head that helped him sometime was quieter, almost silent.

He felt incomplete, broken.

Because of that, the people at school laughed at him, mocked or pushed him (and made him fall again). They had even given him the nickname "Dame-Tsuna" ! The poor little boy was miserable.

He had started to wear a lot more clothes to ward away the cold, even if it was spring. Woolen scarfs, jumpers, mittens and gloves, all very bright and colorful.

Again, the others kids found it weird, and in the end he didn't have friends anymore.

Nana could only watch her son with worried eyes as he stumbled and fell all the time. She had linked it easily with her husband visit, and while she loved Iemitsu, she couldn't help but resent him a little for what he and his boss did to their son, whatever it was. But she couldn't do anything.

So she spent more time trying to explain his homework, reading and playing, and bought him some more warm clothes.

One day, she got an idea.

"Tsu-kun, I know it's the holidays, but Mama gotta work part-time and can't watch you all day. What do you think about going to my aunty Naomi ? She could even teach you to knit, so you can make your clothes yourself ! She made some of yours when I asked her last month."

"Aunt Naomi ? I've never met her before." answered Tsuna, curious.

"It's because she worked abroad a lot and wasn't in Japan. But now that she is retired, she settled down in another part of Nanimori. I called her not long ago and she accepted. She can't wait to meet you !" explained Nana, smiling.

"She won't mind I'm No-Good ?" Tsuna's bright eyes seemed on the verge of tears, his voice quavering and hopeful. Nana hurried to go down on her knees, and took him in her arms for a tight hug.

"Oh baby, no, you are no Dame, don't think like that please. They are wrong, and you'll get better. And don't be afraid, she is pretty serious and maybe she won't smile a lot but I know she is kind and will help you. Even in sports, she was excellent. You just have to be polite and ask. She taught your Mama how to cook you know." she had her head on his, and after some time, she pulled away a bit and winked.

"She must be incredible then !" Tsuna was impressed, her cooking was one of the best.

She was.

To tell the truth, one that few aside from Nana's family knew, Naomi was a retired mercenary, one specialized in infiltration (and seduction back when she was still young and beautiful.) To others, she was the epitome of the "perfect wife". Cooking, sewing, taking care of people, and looking pretty at events. Yes, she was quite talented, but it was often used to kill her mark, a fact that would surprise a lot of people given her public persona.

She had offered to teach Nana in her youth, before she met Iemitsu, but the woman refused. She only asked her to learn how to cook (and maybe how to handle knives too.) They were once very close, but when Naomi learned that she wanted to marry someone high in the biggest mafia, she was far from happy. That led to shouting matches, and his identity being violently revealed to the future wife. It didn't change her decision (and she was already suspecting something. Really, with a skilled mercenary as a teacher, even for as little time as she had, was it surprising that she was way less obvious than she looked ?)

This disagreement explained why they hadn't seen each other in years, even tough Naomi had moved in some part of the city when she retired and they talked by phone from time to time.

But now, with the state her Tsuna was in, she wished she had kept her aunt's warning in head when her husband came with some old man. She was ready to push aside her feelings about their last dispute to send Tsuna to her, hoping that she could help him.

When she called her that evening, Nana explained the situation, and listened silently to the mandatory "I told you" that followed. Naomi accepted, happy to meet the little boy, and to be more implicated in his life, something she feared she wouldn't be able to.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Thus Tsuna went living with his great-aunt (Naomi-baachan) for the holidays. And the following ones. And those after. And for a least part of pretty much every holiday in fact.

She could be strict, and was scary at the beginning, but he loved her, the scent of her house, the exercises they did every morning, the cooking sewing and knitting lessons, and when she helped him do his homework. He loved when she would put a CD and show him how to dance in the middle of the living room, sometimes still in pajamas and slippers. The waltz first, the easiest movements, even if she was way taller than him.

She told the best stories, of yokais and humans, the old wars, and, after she told him what had been her real job, some of her less bloody and funnier missions. And he, nested in a large multicolor crochet blanket, listened and remembered as best as he could.

What he liked the most were the knitting, always with the softest wool they could find, as colored as possible. There was still a cold spot in his chest, as if some part of his body was missing, but he was a bit better, as if the love of his family warmed him a little.

When Naomi's contacts told her about the clusterfuck that was Vongola's succession (two sons dead, and one trapped in the ice), she decided it was time to tell him, and to start a more combat oriented education. She took him in her office, one of the room he wasn't usually allowed in, and said :

"Tsuna-kun, dear, I told you before that your father was in the mafia, yes ?" she was behind her desk, shuffling through some files.

He had been told two years ago in the summer, after the last postcard came, a ridiculous one about oil business in Antarctica and … penguins ? Did he really think they would believe that ?

He nodded. "Why, did something happen ?"

He didn't like Iemitsu, a man he never really saw, and who in his eyes was responsible for the tears his mother shed when she though he wasn't looking, late at night.

"I'm afraid so, another heir died recently, and from what I learned you might be forced to be involved sooner than expected. So I'm going to train you more… physically than before. But don't worry dear, we're going to use what I taught you. There's no way we can make you a brawler good enough to go against mafiosi. No, you need subtlety, even if there is nothing wrong with more muscles I think." she answered, looking at her great-nephew in the eyes, who were lighter than usual.

"Like in your stories ? Make them think you are a "weak and shy little thing" and then defeat them when they drop their guard ? And favor unconventional weapon so no-one suspect you, traps and "accidents" and poison ?" asked excitedly the ten-years old boy, his fluffy brown hair bouncing with him.

"Exactly, I hope you are ready, and that you'll make me proud. Because what we did before is nothing compared to what we're gonna do. We have a lot of work to do in order to have you to an acceptable level. You, my boy, still have arms like noodles." she said, jokingly taking one of his arms in her hands and comparing it to hers. She may be old and proper, but she was fit, with compact muscles that she usually didn't show in her habituals attires.

"I will not disappoint you !" Tsuna exclaimed "I swear !", his eyes lighted in a warm amber color for a second or two, but they quickly came back to his usual brown.

"I know you won't, dear boy." she chuckled.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

To the people who didn't know him well (pretty much everyone but his mother and aunty), Tsuna was the same Dame-Tsuna as always. He may have ameliorated his grades a bit, and tripped less, but his shy personality and odd taste in clothes singled him out. He also often knitted, which was not a "manly" hobby at all apparently, and he was mocked for that.

Bullies went after him, but he escaped almost all the time and they rarely found him. (Oh how he loved trees, and little places hight were he could climb and hide ! He could take them on, but he wanted to keep his persona for a bit longer.) Sometimes, he saw the Disciplinary Committee Demon napping on the roof or patrolling from above. The older boy knew he was there, he threw glances at him from time to time, but since he was neither crowding, breaking rules or doing anything else that would justify a "sanction" (being bitten to death), he left him alone.

Apparently he reminded Hibari of a … baby animal ? Probably bird. Well he was often perched trees, hairs fluffy and messy like feathers, all small and avoiding "predators". He wore colorful accessories to protect himself from the cold. It was to the point where he could go on the roof to eat lunch, as long as he didn't utter a sound. A bit strange, but he wouldn't complain.

Their… relationship ? Accord ? Changed the day Hibari Kyoya saw him use his knitting needles to fight against an assassin in a black suit, in one of the numerous alley of Nanimori.

They came from time to time, enemies of his father (whose protection severely lacked), and they tried to kill him and his mother. Thankfully, she never went outside without a pair of her favorite cooking knives since the first one (a close call, way too close) and they were usually surprised enough that a housewife was that skilled for her to win. (Then she called the Hibari, who controlled both police and a yakusa/mafia clan, and disposed of them.)

So when the skylark saw the innocent baby bird sticking two knitting needles in the eyes of the man, while kicking him where it hurts, he was momentarily surprised. He sprinted to the boy, for a fight, face serious and showing no expression. But Tsunayoshi wasn't acting intimidated. He calmly turned to Hibari, while whipping the blood off his weapons on the clothes of the downed man. Then he gave a warm smile and said :

"Ah Hibari-san, it's good to have you there, I was just going to call your family."

There was no point in denying what the other saw, it would just irritate him more.

"Hn. Bird of prey, explain yourself before I bite you to death." His eyes had a predatory glint to them, like a cat who found a new mouse to play with. There was no doubts that he would attack immediately after.

"Why don't we just make this call and move to some other place ? I will answer but I'd rather not risk being seen." said Tsuna, tilting his head cutely.

Now, while his answers seemed perfectly calm and composed, he was in fact absolutely panicked inside. It took everything he had to avoid running away. It would only make things worse, and he didn't want to make a scene at school, and be forced to reveal his abilities to all.

"Where should we go ? It would be better if there was no-one else…" he mused. There wasn't that many places deserted in Nanimori. "Ah, I know ! Why not that abandoned attraction park ? It would be perfect !"

The skylark's eyes narrowed but he didn't bite him to death, so he must have accepted. He started walking away at a quick pace, in direction of Kokuyo Land, Tsuna following, half-running behind. He didn't have legs as long as the other boy !

It was late afternoon and there wasn't many people in the street. Well, they weren't taking the big ones so that might explain it. And a lot of those they saw left the area when they caught sight of Hibari, afraid of him. He was very intimidating, and you could almost see the aura of annoyance and strength around him. His walk was graceful as always, prowling like a confident predator in his element.

Tsuna was frantically reviewing everything he learned, particularly when it came to fighting someone stronger without the possibility of escape (the worst scenario for one trained more like an assassin/infiltrator like him.) He did know how to fight one on one but it was not is specialty, and he never had to do it against someone else than his aunt. Hibari had a totally different style, unusual weapons and would hold nothing back. Tsuna would have to fight with killing intend if he wanted a chance, hoping that his unconventional ways would disorient the older boy.

Finally, they arrived to the abandoned park, the atmosphere oppressive, the long shadows of the broken attractions looming around them. Luckily it had been a sport day, so he had his sport clothes in his bag. It would be better than his uniform… and less a problem if they got torn. He gestured to the side and went changing in an old restaurant.

As he predicted, he was attacked the moment he got out. Something in the back of his head, his "intuition" warned him so he could dodge. A tonfa flew a hair above his head. He ducked under the arm of his opponent and went to a more open area than the door of a crumbling diner.

They were now facing each other. To the confusion of Hibari, he had his knitting needles out, poor parody of the twin tonfa held in the other's hands. They gleamed in the last rays of the sun, long metal needles with a ball at the end. Tsuna also had wool in his pocket, keeping it hidden.

Hibari scoffed, and charged him at an impressive speed, a tonfa raised to strike his head. But the smaller boy avoided it once again, proving that his instincts were not pure luck. Hibari didn't stop, launching a flurry of blows at Tsuna, who continued dodging, sidestepping and sometimes reflecting them.

"Stop running and fight me !" growled Hibari.

Tsuna really didn't want to fight, or be there at all, but he had no choice. He was starting getting tired, and if he slowed he would be hit more, he already took some hits. He had to try to finish the fight before that point.

So he dropped low and dashed toward the other boy, stepping in his personal space, needle ready to strike. Hibari, surprised, only had the time to redirect it a bit, and was impaled in the left shoulder. Now, the needles weren't very wide, but the wound was deep, and must have touched something important, because Hibari had some troubles raising his arm again. It was bleeding quite a bit, the red of the blood showing on the white shirt.

The older boy was smirking now, not very bothered. Tsuna, who had pulled back the moment after he struck answered him with a shaky smile of his own.

When Hibari charged, this time, instead of just dodging, he managed to duck under, grab his arm, and throw him away head first. It was a movement perfect for someone like him, not very strong because it used the other strength and momentum against them. He still took a painful strike on the side, making him drop the needle in his hand.

Hibari got up, not even breaking a sweat, when Tsuna was on his last reserves. The winner was quite obvious, but giving up was not an option.

He decided to launch a last attack, needle ready, with a high kick followed by a punch, trying to stab Hibari in the side. He failed, quite badly. None of his attacks connected and he took an heavy blow in the stomach, got his legs kicked under him with another blow. It was unnecessary, and the pain made him tear up a little. Finally, he was whacked on the head, surprisingly more gently than Hibari tended to hit.

He clutched his head, already feeling it swell. His ribs were bruised, his legs too. Tomorrow would be painful, and he had no idea how to explain why to his mother. Well, no, he would tell her, but she would not be pleased. She hated when he got hurt. Anyway, it wasn't as if he could have avoided the fight. What Hibari wanted he got.

"Not that bad for a little bird. But you need to sharpen your claws more or you'll get eaten." said Hibari, who for once stayed after winning. He was interested in the smaller boy, wanted to see how far he'd grow. And for that, he would spar with him more. "We'll do this again next week. If you don't come I'll bite you to death." And with those words he left a confused Tsuna on the ground.

"Wait no !" he exclaimed.

But the older boy was too far, and he had no choice anyway. If he tried to avoid Hibari, he would be bitten to death, and then forced to fight again. He took his head in his hands and said mournfully "How will I even explain it to Mom ? Or Aunty ?" He sighed. "Be positive Tsuna, be strong. It'll help me improve my combat right ? Right ? Oh gods why me !"

With those words he got up, and dusted his clothes. Then he picked up the needles he dropped earlier and wiped them. One was bloody after being in the shoulder of the infamous Demon of Nanimori. He didn't want to stain the next thing he knitted.

His bag in hand, he went home in the growing shadows of dusk, thinking of the future conversations with his mother, and dreading his next encounter with the skylark. He would have to ask for more lessons with his aunt if he wanted to keep up and survive.


End file.
